FARNBOROUGH: Petra commitment helps boost CSeries count

Bombardier has advanced its CSeries sales campaign with a new letter of intent from Petra Airlines and the conversion to firm orders of a number of LOIs and options.

Jordan-based Petra has signed an LOI for four CSeries airliners that would comprise two firm CS100s and two CS300 options, says the Canadian airframer. The commitment is valued at around $298 million at list prices.

“CSeries jetliners have built-in operational flexibility which will allow us to tailor them to meet our specific needs,” says Riad Khashman, chief executive of Petra. “They’re quiet, they have an unmatched environmental footprint and their widebody comfort will be appealing to customers.”

Abu Dhabi-based Falcon Aviation Services, meanwhile, has converted its LOI to a firm order for two CS300s. It previously had an LOI for one firm CS300 and one CSeries option.

Falcon’s order is valued at some $154 million at list prices.

Air Baltic has been identified as the then-undisclosed customer which converted three CS300 options to firm orders at the Singapore air show in February 2014. The Latvian carrier now has firm orders for 13 CS300s and options on seven more aircraft.

“As Air Baltic moves forward in its business strategy and fleet optimisation plan, it needs to take advantage of all the available opportunities for growth beyond 2016,” says Martin Gauss, chief executive of the airline. “The all-new CS300 airliner continues to be the best fit; hence we elected to exercise those available options.”